Stydia Imagines
by you-make-me-wander
Summary: A collection of Stydia imagines I've posted on tumblr.
1. Imagine 1 - Post 5x16

**Author's Note:** Hi guys. Long time, no word!

Man, this is gonna be a long author's note…

Okay. First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for my long absence. Things have been hard on my end ever since this year began, so I've been trying to manage everything.

For those of you who don't follow me on tumblr - or that do follow me, but haven't heard about it -, I fell ill on the second week of January, and it was serious enough that I was hospitalized a few times and that I had to be on medical leave for just over two months. In fact, I just went back to work last week.

As you can imagine, writing isn't a priority when there's barely any income and the bills are still there to pay, plus there were a couple of weeks when I just literally, physically couldn't get off of bed so there wasn't much I could do about it but to resign and focus on recovering. I also lost my grandmother while I was sick, so that just contributed to me needing some time off to rest.

Right now I'm better, and eager to get to writing frequently again. Still, being without writing for so long means that I have a lot of works delayed. Really, LOTS of them. And by that I mean 19 multi-chapters needing to be updated, another 3 on the works, 6 one-shots waiting to be posted on stydia-fanfiction on tumblr first before I can share them with you here, and 10 birthday drabbles that are more than delayed by now. Plus 2 imagines.

That means I'll have to manage my free time to write as much as I can so I can update regularly, regardless of if the story is one of the most loved ones or if it's one that hasn't gotten enough attention from my readers. To me, all my stories have to be told and I won't rest until I have them all going, and I mean it when I say I'll finish them all.

My problem right now is time, which is relatively limited. Although some fics just need editing/revising, others need to be finished and then there are chapters that need to be written altogether. Even if it will take some time, don't worry. I have all the stories planned out and could tell you exactly what's gonna happen in all of them until they're finished. I just need time and determination. And encouragement. And courage because I'm basically nuts since I keep coming up with new scenarios to write Stiles and Lydia in!

(It's Stiles and Lydia's fault, not mine. Also Holland and Dylan's for the terrific acting and undeniable chemistry. I'm not to blame if Stiles and Lydia's love is so inspiring…)

I've come up with a specific order for updating my works that I'll try to stick to, and as the first work I'd be posting is a birthday drabble for Sterek and not Stydia, I've decided to post my imagines as well and start with them. I've shared them on tumblr already and they're not really a fic or a one-shot per se, but I wrote them while I was sick and had a burst of inspiration and I couldn't wait to get them out, so here you go.

I'll see how writing goes and try and come up with a schedule of my own for my updates, but I won't share it until I know that it works. I'll try my best to keep it frequent, though. I have so many things for you to read!

That said, a huge thank you to those of you who've messaged me while I was away. Your words of support kept me going and meant the world to me, still do and always will.

You guys are the best readers and I love you.

If you've read all of this, go grab a cookie. You deserve it :)

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 **This is a little imagine I wrote on tumblr to show you how I would have liked 5x16 to have ended, so it takes place that night after Stiles rescued Lydia from Eichen.**

 **Enjoy.**

Imagine Stiles lying in bed with Lydia because she can't fall asleep by herself after they rescued her from Eichen, so they just lay there in silence, thinking about nothing and everything for they don't need to voice their thoughts - they never really did -, feeling completely safe for once even if only for a night.

It's comforting and good and just genuinely _right_ , so Lydia finds herself moving a little closer to Stiles as she starts dozing off, and Stiles absently wraps an arm around her to make sure that she stays right there, that she knows that _she can_ , that this - whatever it turns out to be in the end - is real.

So they just stay there, not a single worry as if they have all the time in the world to just _be_ \- they will eventually, sooner than they think - and feeling Lydia's steady breathing on his neck might be the best thing Stiles has right at that moment, knowing that she's alive and away from danger, safe in his arms as if she belongs there.

As if she always did.

(Lydia would disagree if he were to ever say it out loud. She'd say the best thing she has at that moment is the warmth of his body against hers, how protected she feels when he's close by, the peace his touch has always brought into her life.)

(They would, of course, have to agree to disagree.

Neither would really complain about it.)

And so maybe, just maybe, time passes them by. And maybe they're too close to think straight but neither of them really cares, not just then. Maybe Stiles cups her cheek and pulls her even closer as relief washes over him again, as realization hits him that _she's there_ , so he sighs softly and Lydia thinks he kisses the top of her head, she's not sure.

Such a light, tender gesture catches her off guard even though she should know by now that Stiles is anything but predictable. That she never knows what to expect where Stiles is concerned and that that does nothing to make her want all of him any less.

 _It's so right_ she feels it in her bones, in the rush running through her veins, in her erratic heartbeat and uneven breath all of a sudden.

She loves it.

She loves _him_.

She lets him, and doesn't move away at all, maybe even closer as if it's still possible, as if any and all particles of her body _have_ to be in contact with his, as if she was meant to be in his arms tonight all along.

(And maybe she was.)

His thumb brushing against her skin is soothing and Lydia tries her hardest not to succumb to sleep just then, not yet, glancing up at him to find him staring back at her, the fire in his eyes always there whenever she's in sight, whenever his guard is down for long enough for Lydia to _see_ all he wants to say with his eyes.

She hopes he can see all that she wants to say now that she knows, _for sure_ , how she feels about him without having to say a word.

And he does, of course, because if it's something that Stiles Stilinski can do better than anyone else in this world is to read Lydia Martin to her core as if he knows her by heart, all of her, and now he knows what he didn't before, what he couldn't see, and that changes _everything_.

Lydia feels naked under his stare for a fleeting moment before an almost shy smile tugs at the corner of his lips, and she wishes it wasn't the middle of the night so she could see it better. It's utterly heartwarming when he smiles genuinely and it's so rare that he does that she wishes things were different.

But then she remembers that she's the one putting such a smile on his lips and she settles, returning it the same way, timidly pulling his hand away from her cheek and entwining their fingers together in an almost rehearsed movement, as if they've held hands time and time again.

(And they did, only now it means _more_.)

Stiles closes his eyes, relaxing completely. In all truth, he's not sure if he's ever felt this at peace with the world, with himself, even with his demons.

He misses how Lydia stares for a few seconds, studying him as if she can only now see all of him too, how fundamentally _his_ she truly is and has been for so long she can't pinpoint when it started, how nothing has ever felt so right as the moment that they're sharing right now.

And so she mimics him, nuzzling against his frame as if fitting a puzzle piece that had been lost and that is now in its rightful place, fluttering her eyes closed as tiredness wins her over at last, calming at the thought that they can just be, exist in each other's vicinity without colliding, gravitating around each other like magnets that just won't pull away.

It's strange to think just how much they can talk with their eyes when they can speak with their touch just as much. Maybe it's why there's a pull then, why she's suddenly so aware of every part of him so close to her, why she feels like she needs more, like she needs _everything_.

And not only that, but now she can finally admit to herself that she wants it.

Lydia doesn't open her eyes but she doesn't have to, not to know that Stiles seems to be experiencing something similar, how he's slightly fidgety now when he wasn't before. And she gets it.

Because it's always a shot in the dark, isn't it? Making the first move?

But she's tired of the odds always being against them, tired of fear ruling their lives as if they were predestined to fail to begin with, as if fate doesn't have a say in it after all.

She likes to think that fate is what brought them together, that their history is just waiting to be told, so Lydia takes matters into her own hands and can only hope it was already written.

Taking a chance, she pulls the trigger.

She doesn't waver, taking her time to let Stiles know exactly what it is that she wants, all that it _means_ , feeling him tense beside her for a second before he's responding just as slowly to her presence, to her _will_ and his own, letting themselves get caught up in the moment.

And she's not sure how long they breathe the same air, how long their noses brush together or how many times their lips meet teasingly, barely a brush as if they want to delay what they both know it's inevitable but can't because it is bigger than themselves, as if they can't help but to _feel_ the anticipation first, bask in it, enjoying it crawling under their skin just at the thought.

And when their lips finally touch, fully and completely, it's as if nothing has changed, as if they've done it a thousand times before and then some. And even though it feels final, _changing_ , it's new and unexpected in a way they weren't prepared for, so when they part sooner rather than later it's surprising and rational at the same time, logical in a kind of way that has them baffled at its simplicity.

They always wondered if they'd collide when they'd finally meet, sometime in the future neither was too sure they'd live to witness, two forces of nature destined to clash. Turns out they're two sides of the same, opposites compatible and perfectly matchable in any and all realms of reality, fated to complement the other in ways no one else can and _it shows_ , and it's beauty in all its glory.

And it's why they don't overthink it, why there aren't words uttered to ruin a faultless balance finally reached after what feels like a lifetime.

Because they have this and all lifetimes afterwards to navigate their emotions, to learn them and live them fully as they should, to guide the other to be the best version of themselves they can be, to worship and be worshiped in a way so reverent that it'll shake the foundations of their being like they've never experienced before.

And all because now they know that it's tangible, that how they feel towards each other isn't just in their heads anymore and so the future doesn't seem as scary. And with the lives they lead, that's just about all they can ask for.

So they quiet and fall asleep in each other's arms because they have tonight if nothing else, and because they have each other.

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 **Author's note** : Let me know what you think? :)


	2. Imagine 2 - Post S5

**Imagine 2 – Post S5**

 **Author** **'s note** : Hey, guys!

Long story short for those of you who don't know, I've been on and off the hospital in the last few months, and the last time I was hospitalized for about two months and a half! I'm home now and getting better, and I've been slowly working on getting back into writing.

I'd promised myself I'd start posting new works from tonight on if Portugal won the European Championship, and guess what? WE FUCKING WON! AFTER SO MANY YEARS, WE'VE FINALLY WON AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!

So that means I will start posting new works/chapters soon, by a calendar I'll try my very best to meet. Still don't think it strange if the updates are a few days apart, I want to take it slow and focus on getting better before straining myself too much.

Anyway, this is an imagine for after S5. Thank you to those of you who checked up on me while I was away and sent encouraging messages. I've missed you lots! ❤

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If rumors are to be true that Stiles goes missing and, for some reason, loses his memory, **do you realize that we get to see Stiles fall in love with Lydia all over again?! Like, from scratch this time?!** Only this time Lydia will have to try and help him remember about her, about _them_.

Imagine this.

The pack saves him from whatever and they're together at the Stilinskis to see what Stiles does remember, which turns out not to be much, so Scott tries to revive old memories and tells Stiles stories from when they were children along with the Sheriff and it helps some, but it's like something is missing in the story. And when everyone goes quiet trying to think of what to do to help Stiles, Lydia murmurs.

Lydia murmurs that Stiles has had a crush on her since the third grade, and the room goes silent when she reaches for his hand to hold in hers like they've done so many times before. She tells him that he saved her from Peter (which she found out from Scott recently but just doesn't have it in her to be mad at Stiles for not telling her), tells Stiles that he always thought there was a connection between them and that they even kissed once (and that it was magical, but she opts not to say that out loud since Scott is already staring at her like she literally just dropped a bomb).

Lydia tells Stiles how good they are together and how he has saved her life time and time again. Tells him that they've gone to hell and back, hand in hand, and that they survived it all. Tells him that, before she could have helped it, she started falling in love with him, slowly but surely.

And Stiles just stares at her because he barely remembers anything and it's hard to believe that such a beautiful woman is pouring her heart out like that (he remembers Lydia from first grade and she was most definitely not this open or talkative, even as a six year old), and when Lydia sees that it's still not enough to bring his memories back, she suddenly remembers _the letter_.

So she leaves him on the couch in despair, scrambles to her feet and runs upstairs to his room because the letter _has_ to be somewhere, and everyone follows her in confusion because " _where the hell is she going?_ ". And when they meet her upstairs, half of Stiles' room is in a complete disarray and Stiles is the only one stepping in, asking what she's doing but she just doesn't stop, because he couldn't have thrown the letter - _her letter_ \- away, could he?

Stiles worries for her even not knowing why because she seems distressed and something in his gut tells him that he just has to comfort her, so absently he reaches out for her to find that Lydia is tearing up and freaking out because she can't find it, and he needs to remember _her_.

 _He has to_.

And silence follows while they just stay there and moments pass, standing close to one another but too far away, or so it seems, and everyone at the door watches the scene unfold with half a broken heart because Stiles and Lydia's love story is too good to just end like that.

And then, almost at the same time, Stiles, Scott and the Sheriff start talking over one another, noting how Stiles has always hidden important things under a loose wooden board on the floor just underneath his bed ever since he was a little kid, and it's hard to tell who moves first because suddenly everyone is lying down and looking for it, and it's Lydia who, always determined and more so now, ends up finding it.

And then she's on her knees, unable to get up on her own, and the letter is in her shaky hands and she's not sure whether she should open it or not, but Stiles is beside her in a heartbeat and reaches for her instinctively, helping Lydia up to her feet, and neither notices that they're suddenly alone, the others having rushed downstairs to give Stiles and Lydia time to finally, _hopefully_ , sort some things out.

Stiles coaxes her to open the letter because he doesn't know what's in there, but then again neither does she so Lydia doesn't really move, not sure of what she'll find. So Stiles suggests they open and read it together because Lydia had pointed out just a few minutes ago, when they were back in his living room, how good they are when they work together so maybe it's what they should do, and Stiles swears up and down that the almost shy smile she gives him then is the most beautiful smile he has ever seen, regardless of the ones his memories are keeping from him.

So they open the letter. And they read it. And as it turns out it isn't a love letter after all (not blatantly, anyway). It's just Stiles being Stiles and telling Lydia how talented she is, how smart, that when he saw how amazing she was at drawing (like at everything else) he just had to frame it because for all the times she's felt insecure about her powers, she should always believe in herself and now she could actually see her own doing beautifully displayed and never doubt herself or her powers ever again. It's him telling her she can do literally anything if she puts her mind to it and that he'll always be there to support her no matter what.

When Stiles gathers the courage to look her in the eyes, Lydia is crying silently, and when he's about to ask her what's wrong she says that she hates how they keep missing each other, how now that she has finally read the letter, that she has come to terms with her feelings for him after so long, he doesn't even remember her and that _it hurts_.

That she wishes things were different and that they'd get another chance, a clean slate.

And so, slowly, Stiles holds her hands and softly pulls Lydia into a hug, and the way she fits in his arms brings a few memories back that he doesn't mention to her just yet. He just holds on to her like his life depends on it, like he was born to do just that.

And when she embarrassingly says she's sorry for being such a mess when he doesn't even really know her anymore, Stiles wipes away her tears, almost afraid to touch her but finding that it's the rightest thing he's ever done, and when the words come out of his mouth effortlessly another memory surfaces.

" _I think you look really beautiful when you cry._ "

Obviously, it only makes her cry harder because Stiles, _her_ Stiles is there, as caring and supportive as ever but he still doesn't remember her, doesn't remember _them_. And before she can excuse herself and leave because this whole situation might just be the worst thing that could have happened, Stiles asks if she'd like to hang out, that it would be good, he thinks, that they get to know each other better since he'd very much like to get to know someone who obviously cares so much about him.

All that reminds her of is the time Stiles tried to talk to her when she was at the hospital waiting for Jackson and she barely even knew who Stiles was - she _had been_ listening, even though she pretended she wasn't for the sake of her reputation and because she just didn't care about Stiles at the time, in all honesty -, but everything is different now.

She cares about Stiles now, and has for a while. More than that, actually, so much more, and there's no doubt in her mind of what she wants to do. So when she nods and tells him that she'd very much like that, Stiles smiles genuinely for the first time since the pack rescued him, and has this proud look on his face that Lydia promises to try her hardest to make happen again so that she can see it more often.

So when they head downstairs and tell the others that the letter didn't help much, everyone worries for a moment, but time will make things right and soon Stiles and Lydia fall back into place and his memories eventually resurface. And when they do, the day he completely remembers everything about her, about _them_ , he's knocking on her door and asking her out on a date because he just doesn't want to keep missing her anymore, tells her that time has already taken too much from them.

And if by any chance this is how they end up getting together in the end, by getting to know each other all over again, I wouldn't mind falling in love with their lover all over again too.

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 **Author's note:** Feedback is encouraged and much appreciated.

If you haven't yet, please check out my latest Stydia one-shots, "Moody" and "The things you say when you're sorry." More to come :)


	3. Remember - Part One

**Remember - Part One**

 **Summary:** A little imagine for the way I see Stydia happening in S6A, following the trailer (THE TRAILER! THAT FREAKING AMAZING TRAILER, AM I RIGHT?!).

This will be a three-part fic: first we'll have Stiles and Lydia before Stiles is taken by the Ghost Riders, then both their points of view while Stiles is away, and lastly their reunion. Hope you enjoy it :)

Beta-ed by the lovely bebethsas on tumblr. Thanks, sweetie xx

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"I'm next," he whispers as it dawns on him, as he realizes everyone he has ever known will forget he ever existed.

He doesn't think he's ever run this fast in his entire life, not even when he was trying to escape a supernatural menace. Granted, that's _exactly_ what he's doing right now, in a way, and yet not quite so. He just needs to defy time, to run fast enough to find someone else, anyone else. Someone who still remembers him before _they_ come for him.

The Ghost Riders.

He's mostly out of breath when he finds _her_ , almost knocking Lydia to the ground when he bumps into her petite frame, but somewhat steady hands find her waist effortlessly as if they always belonged there and she manages to keep her balance, letting out a chuckle at his clumsiness that the old Lydia would abhor, the kind smile falling from her face when she sees how anxious he seems to be. How _scared_.

"Stiles?" Her voice wavers, her tone is apprehensive.

His hands let go of her reluctantly but he remains close, releasing a breath of relief when he notices she still seems to have recollection of him.

Why does it feel like they're always out of time? "Lydia, I saw them."

"Who?" She asks, confused. It hasn't even been ten minutes since they'd all been together.

He's nervous, she notices, running his tongue along his bottom lip more than once and it instantly makes her feel something in her core that she's sure is a bad omen. Things were going too well to last long.

His words confirm her fears. "The Riders. Lydia, _I saw them_."

She feels sick, and for a second she feels lightheaded enough that Stiles grabs ahold of her hands, afraid that she might tumble down. "You-"

"Saw the Ghost Riders passing, yes," he mumbles, looking her over because for a second there, Lydia paled.

She looks taken aback, as if what he said is something completely unconceivable and out of this world, as if she doesn't believe a word he just said. "The… The-"

"Yes." Normally he'd blurt it out impatiently, maybe with a roll of eyes or an annoyed huff, but not now. Now, the word comes out whispered, almost in resignation.

"No," she says with a light shake of her head, denial clear in her eyes. "No, it can't be. You didn't-"

His thumbs start drawing circles on the back of her hands absentmindedly. "Lydia, _I saw them_ ," he repeats but it does nothing to make her believe in him more. "I'm going to be taken."

Her eyes start burning without her consent at his resolute tone, as if there's nothing more they can do to prevent what's about to happen. "No!"

"Yes, Lyd-"

"No, we won't let it," she says with a trembling voice. " _I_ won't let it."

It's hard to breathe, he thinks, when everything was starting to look up for them and now everything _is not_. "My-" His voice breaks and his mouth feels too dry all of a sudden, remembering what happened not two minutes ago. "My dad. Lydia, he doesn't remember me. And neither does your mother. I ran into them just a few minutes ago and they… People are already starting to forget about me."

If he's being honest with himself, Stiles doesn't think he'll ever bear seeing the ignorance in his father's eyes ever again, looking at him as if he had no memory of all the years that have gone by and as if Stiles was nothing but a stranger to the man. Of all the things that have happened in his life, Stiles thinks that moment had to be one of the worst he's ever experienced. And now… Now Lydia will forget about him too.

Before he can say anything the redhead cups his cheeks instinctively, and it's hard not to notice how her lower lip is quivering, or how tears start to well in her eyes. "No one will forget you. How could someone ever-"

"You heard Deaton." His heart stammers in his chest at her touch more than it already was from all the running. "The Wild Hunt doesn't just take people, it erases people from reality." Lydia keeps shaking her head as if what she's hearing can't be true. "I'll be taken and no one will remember me."

" _I_ 'll remember you."

"Lydia, you won't-"

His words are cut short by her lips, firm yet soft against his own, and for a fleeting second he's so surprised he doesn't really respond. But then he kisses her back because he has known for a while it was coming if only for a moment, the clock ticking against them. Always against them.

She can't hold back a sob. "You're not going anywhere, I won't let you."

Their foreheads touch and Stiles breathes in, her taste still on his lips and he hopes that's something he'll never forget. "I have to. Lydia, they'll come for me. The Riders will come for me and no one can stop them."

"We'll figure something out, you can't just-"

"You'd see them too."

She knows that, of course, but still… "Stiles-"

"No. I'll let them take me and everyone will forget about me. There's… There's no other way around it."

Lydia purses her lips and tries her hardest not to cry. " _I_ 'll remember you, Stiles. We all will."

He knows it's a lie. People are already forgetting all about him. "You'll forget me."

The pain in her voice makes his insides clench. "I won't."

For a moment they just stare at each other; then his arms wrap around her frame and pull her in, and Stiles thinks she cries against his chest for a minute but he isn't sure. He doesn't think he can take seeing her cry right now.

He loses count of how many times he softly kisses the top of her head or hugs her tight. "I'll let them take me, and you'll all forget about me." Lydia whimpers in his arms and he closes his eyes shut, breathing her in, trying to imprint in his memory everything he can about her. After all, he has no idea if he'll forget all about her too. "I trust you'll do everything you can to figure out a way to bring me back, alright? If anyone can, it's you, Lydia."

She looks up at him then, her hands looking for his to hold this time around. "I won't let you go, Stiles. I can't just…"

He catches a stray tear that rolls down her cheek and kisses her again, barely a brush of lips and still so meaningful to them both. He wishes it didn't feel like goodbye. "I need you to go, Lydia, and to leave me behind. I need you to not do something stupid and reckless, and to not look at the Ghost Riders, okay? I need you to stay, and I need you to look after my dad and Scott, and to make sure that everyone else is safe. I trust you'll try your hardest to bring me back, Lydia." It takes her a moment to respond but she nods in resignation. "I trust you."

In her head, she hears something else entirely.

She hears _I love you_ , the same way she's had so many times before.

"Stiles, I need to tell you something," she blurts out suddenly, afraid she won't have enough time to say the words anymore. "Stiles, you have to know that I l-"

"Don't," he murmurs, his index finger pushed against her plush pink lips. "Please, don't… Don't say anything." He swallows drily and she does too, her eyes pleading but he doesn't give in. "This isn't goodbye."

She reaches for his hand again and laces their fingers together, voice wavering. "It feels like it."

He brings up their hands and kisses her knuckles, before gently pulling her closer and kissing her cheek, then the corner of her mouth. He's about to pull away when Lydia captures his lips with hers in a searing kiss, trying to express her emotions without using the words Stiles doesn't want her to say for the time being.

"It isn't goodbye, I promise you," he whispers, and he tries his best not to break down for her, to be strong enough for the both of them now because if this doesn't work out in the end, she's the one who's gonna need strength.

"How can you know that?" She asks almost timidly, unsure.

A faint, knowing smile takes over his lips. "Because you're smart. And if anyone is smart enough to figure this out, Lydia, it's you." She listens attentively, heart beating fast in her chest, and in that moment she knows, without a shadow of a doubt, just how much she's in love with him. "You're gonna walk away, I'll be taken, and however far apart we are I know we'll figure this out, alright?" She squeezes his hand in response but stays wordless, preparing herself for the moment when one of them will have to walk away. "And when we're back together, we're gonna talk about this. About what just happened," because although them kissing again was expected and had been for quite a while, Stiles and Lydia were still sorting their relationship out. "About what's to come, about all the things we want to say and just… Anything. We'll talk about anything," he finishes, his eyes stinging.

"You promise?"

Her voice comes out completely pained, and it hurts him to hear it. He's never wanted her to suffer. "Yeah, I do."

He'll go to hell and back anytime if it means he gets to come back to her in the end.

"I'll remember you," she lets out stubbornly, barely a hum.

"I really hope that's true." He gives in to a small, sad chuckle. "Otherwise, it's ten years wasted," he says jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Trying to subside the ache in his chest.

She purses her lips in a tight smile and squeezes his hand as if gathering strength from Stiles himself, releasing a shallow breath. Stiles holds on too. "I'll remember you," she repeats, taking in his features for a few moments longer to make sure her memory will do him justice.

In any case, she doesn't think it will, not entirely. Masterpieces can't be reproduced so lightly.

Gathering courage she takes a step back, moving away from his warmth but her hands still linked with his. "You come back to me, Stiles Stilinski."

Pride crosses his eyes, and love and care and compassion do too, and he finds it hard to let go of her all of a sudden. "I will. I'll find my way back to you, Lydia Martin."

They don't kiss.

Actions could never speak louder than their eyes do in that moment, and he only lets go of her hands when he hears horses in the distance and fear, not for himself but for what could become of her if she was presented with the same fate he was, startles him.

Stiles has to coax Lydia to leave for she doesn't want to, when the time comes, and he ends up making the choice for her and leaves himself in the direction of the galloping sounds, leaving a distraught Lydia behind. He hears her call after him but doesn't look back, unyielding in wanting to make sure that she won't get taken too, unwavering in wanting to preserve in his mind her eyes when they'd seemed so warm and loving just a moment before, and not scared for his life like he knows they probably are now.

And when he meets the Ghost Riders halfway not even three minutes later, Stiles exhales in relief for they seem to have found who they were looking for and no one else. And even though fear takes possession of every single cell in his body just then at the villains' presence, Stiles thinks back to emerald green eyes piercing his amber ones, to the kind smile he's grown used to so much in the last few months and courage fills him momentarily, if only to murmur that "Somebody's gonna remember me" because he knows that someone will.

"They'll come for me."

And they will too.

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 **Author's note:** Feedback is encouraged and much appreciated.


	4. Missing you - Missing scene - 6x10

**Summary:** Missing scene from 6x10, between The Kiss and The Look.

 **Rating:** General

 **Tags:** Fluff, Romance.

 **Author's Note:** A shout out to bebethsas who looked this over because it's past 5am here and I spent all night writing and editing and revising, back and forth between four different fics and my brain is fried.

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"In a world full of temporary things

you are a perpetual feeling."

Sanober Khan

Lydia hasn't left his side.

Not when the battle was finally over. Not when his father and his friends welcomed him back. Not when the Sheriff decided to drive both Stiles and Lydia back to the Stilinski's residence because their hands wouldn't part for anything.

She doesn't let go of his hand during the entirety of the ride either, when the Sheriff has to play _chauffeur_ so that the kids can enjoy the closeness for a bit now that things have calmed down.

Neither does Lydia disentangle her fingers from his when Stiles nudges her to get inside the house, then stopping for a moment in the living room as if he's taking it all in for the first time.

Lydia definitely does not let go, and even squeezes his hand for comfort, when his eyes find a picture of Claudia on the mantelpiece. Stiles is drawn to it and picks it up with the hand that's not holding Lydia's, and for a moment neither of them talks. Not Stiles, who's getting emotional. Not Lydia, who wishes she could take away their pain. Not the Sheriff, who's still standing by the front door watching the scene.

But then Stiles braves and puts the frame back in its place because the present is not the past, smiling down at Lydia and she returns it with a teary grin that makes him want to kiss her. Instead, he makes his way to his dad and hugs him tightly again for good measure, whispers that he loves him because he knows he'll never say it enough, and Stiles only realizes he'd let go of Lydia's hand when the Sheriff pats his son on the back and faces the banshee.

"Lydia, would you like to stay for dinner?"

Stiles lets go of his dad with excitement in his eyes at the man's words, looks back at Lydia over his shoulder and nods subtly - or as subtly as Stiles ever does anything - in a way of asking her to stay.

To his surprise, her cheeks redden. "I'd love to."

Her expression is so soft, so shy that Stiles aches to touch her again.

"Then you're gonna have to help me," the Sheriff says jokingly, "because I can't cook for the life of me." Truth is, some boundaries should be established right away. While he does want to give his son and the banshee some privacy, Noah knows that this has been a long time coming, and that sooner or later _things_ are bound to happen. Not with him around in the house, that's for sure, so keeping an eye on them seems like the best approach for right now. "Why don't I give you two a minute and then you can meet me in the kitchen while Stiles takes a shower and changes?" He asks Lydia, then turning to Stiles. "I'm sure you'd like that."

Stiles nods emphatically in answer to both things. "God, yes. Please."

Lydia's grin breaks through and Stiles thinks it could lighten the whole room. It's genuine, honestly pure, the same way she's been doing ever since the two of them were reunited just a couple of hours before. It seems that she hasn't stopped smiling since. "Thank you, Sheriff. We won't take long," Lydia murmurs softly as she walks up to Stiles and waits for him to move.

For his part, Stiles sends a pleading look his father's way. One that rather obviously asks for more than just a moment alone with Lydia, but the Sheriff only tilts his head to the side a little and makes a face, gives him a pointed look with narrowed eyes and Stiles knows that he's defeated. Still, when they part ways, all three of them have a contented smile on their faces.

Lydia follows Stiles into his bedroom and closes the door behind her, leaning against it. She watches in wonder as Stiles takes in his room as well, a room that she came to fear wouldn't have him in it ever again. It looks completely different now. It's not bare and dark anymore but instead full of light even though it's night outside. Now it's full of _him_ , and his presence there is overwhelming to her.

Lydia has gone months without having Stiles in her life, in the reality that she's come to accept and love and live in. She doesn't want to waste any more time with fear of the unknown.

He turns around to face her just then as if he knows what's going through her head, and Lydia can feel herself blushing once more, an almost embarrassed smile taking over her lips. Stiles smiles back the same way, somewhat bashfully, because while their kiss - _second_ kiss, actually - was a moment of desperation and repressed frustration and raw passion all coming together, now there's no impending doom hanging over their heads. Now it's just them, a boy and a girl in love, paving the way to a future that starts now. A future that has actually started before either of them was really mindful of to acknowledge it, as if fated.

Lydia moves first, slowly until she wraps her arms around his torso and rests her head on his chest. As much as she knows that Stiles has missed her these past three months, she can't shake how terrifying it was to miss someone she loved irrevocably and that she suddenly knew close to nothing about.

Stiles holds her just as tight as he did back in the locker room, kisses her hair and whispers repeatedly that "It's okay, we're okay now" and Lydia revels at the sweetness of his voice, at the steadiness of his heartbeat and the warmth of his body.

When she looks up at him and meets his loving gaze, her voice falters when she whispers. "I missed you, Stiles. I missed you so much," she admits, because she had. And missing someone you didn't know you'd forgotten about in the first place is already hurtful as it is, let alone when she actually realized that the person she was missing was her best friend, her soulmate, her other half. The boy she loves unconditionally .

She tears up when she notices how deliberate Stiles' movements are, as if he's afraid to cross a line they haven't exactly erased yet. So she nods almost imperceptibly and Stiles cups her cheeks, stroking his thumbs feather-like across her cheekbones as he looks into her eyes until Lydia thinks she'll melt in his arms. He kisses her forehead gently before pulling back and murmuring "I know" because he does. Because despite how much it changed over the years, his love for Lydia Martin has been a constant in his life since he was eight years old, and having known that she loved him for a while now of course that Stiles knew how much she had to be suffering with this.

And he wasn't wrong in finally having told her before he was taken that he loved her. In firmly believing that loving Lydia and having Lydia love him back the same would be enough to bring him back from the Wild Hunt, and it was.

Stiles catches her stray tears, unaware that he'd started crying himself from how charged the moment is until Lydia cups his cheeks as well.

Stiles thinks time stills. Lydia thinks time is passing by all too fast.

She cups his chin and Stiles lets his forehead rest against hers for a minute as they breathe each other in, lips so close yet not touching, eyes never leaving the other's. His arms wrap around her waist to pull her closer just when Lydia shortens the distance between them for a kiss that in any other occasion Stiles would consider chaste. Now he's mostly unbelieving of just how much Lydia Martin is in love with him.

The kiss is tender and short, barely a graze of lips, his face in her hands and he can tell that Lydia is just as slightly reticent about truly giving in as he is. Because one thing was when the sole reason she kissed him was to stop his panic attack, regardless of how that moment changed how she saw him from then on; another when the kiss had been urgent, desperate, an inevitable moment of passion from the months and years of frustrations and the angst and hurt from the past few months. Now this is a new kiss, one that means that things are changing again and they'll both have to figure out just quite how much.

As it turns out it's pretty simple, for a change. Stiles pulls back and wets his lips reflexively, eyes locked on hers so of course he notices when her gaze fixes on his mouth, her lower lip trapped between her teeth invitingly. When her eyes wander up to his again, Lydia gives him one of the most beautiful little smiles he'll ever see on her even though her eyes are still wet, as well as her cheeks. But she's looking at him as enamored as he's ever seen her and it's warming, and new and exciting all at once so Stiles takes the chance with a bright smile of his own.

Stiles releases her lower lip from her ministrations with his left hand, tilts her chin up and kisses her fully, carefree and not mindful that his father can walk in at any moment, taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss the second that Lydia allows him. Lydia's hands mess with his hair as she pleases, as she pulls him down to her as much as she can to compensate for their height difference, tongues properly exploring the other's mouth for the first time.

They part breathlessly and suddenly, as if it's an offense that there's lack of air in their lungs.

And then they start laughing.

They start laughing, and truthfully neither could probably tell you why but it feels right, soothing. A glimpse of what their future has in store for them and so they hug again. And this time it doesn't hurt as much.

They take a couple of minutes to steady their breathing and recompose, kiss a little more before Lydia leaves him to his shower and goes find the Sheriff in the kitchen. When Stiles meets them half an hour later, Lydia is animatedly talking to is father while they cook and it's as if she's always belonged there. In his kitchen with his family worming her way in just like he does.

When Stiles drives her back to her house after dinner and walks her to her front door, he doesn't hesitate in kissing Lydia goodnight as he always thought he would one day, and it only tops his dreams because Lydia actually lingers, because she's blushing adorably when they part and has this same smile on her face that is still so new to him, shy and a little embarrassed and just of genuine happiness!

And when neither of them wants to end the moment but know that they have to - or at least that they should -, Stiles finally asks the question he's been dying to ask her ever since he heard her on the radio saying that she remembered.

"What about us, what does this means to us?" He murmurs in between pecks on her lips, too selfish to let go of her just yet.

Lydia grins smugly, stops the kissing to catch her breath before answering and holds his hands in reassurance. "Take me on a date tomorrow and we'll see," she whispers teasingly before getting on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek quickly and disappearing inside the house.

He doesn't have to wait until their date to find out his answer, thankfully, because the next day at school he already knows. He's by the lockers with Scott, who mentions how it doesn't feel as if things have really changed but they have, and when Stiles looks at Lydia he just knows. A few lockers down from his, she stops when she sees him looking at her and her cute smile from the day before is there again. So is the ardent way she looks at him as if she's thirsty and he's the oasis she needs to drink from, and Stiles knows the answer. He knows.

Everything's changed.

xxxxxxxxxx

 **Author's Note:** Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)


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